This blog is about giving voice to the voiceless in occupied Palestine by myself and other contributing journalists who have seen first-hand the horror of Israeli apartheid.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Hope?

We are now in the second week of Israel's re-occupation of Gaza. Olmert has stated that the assault will not cease until the captured Israeli soldier, Gillad Shilat is returned safe and sound.

Olmert and Peretz have stated that no Palestinian will be safe from the bloodshed. Well, I know neither of these two are prone to exaggeration when it comes to war crimes being committed against the Palestinians. In fact, whether your at the beach sun-bathing and enjoying a nice picnic with your family or merely having a bar-b-que with loved ones, you better recognize that your on notice.

I've been removed from blogging lately due to the fact that I am in the process of moving. I don't have access to the internet in my house so, unfortunately, I had to rely on the mainstream media to find out what's going on in the World.

Biting my lip and praying for a miracle, I turned on the television and watched the CBS news last night. Stories of investigations about murders that US soldiers were accused of committing in Iraq headlined the news, but after this they turned to Gaza and spoke of an Israeli missile that struck the car of suspected militants. Nothing new I thought, they've done this in the past, but what took me by surprise was that they gave a name of an eight year old Palestinian girl who had been killed.

What the.....? I shook my head in amazement and thought; "I didn't just hear what I thought I heard did I?" But sure enough, they gave out her name, something I have never heard them do before when stating that a Palestinian civilian had been killed or wounded.

Throughout this "Summer Rain" the news has constantly repeated Shilat's name and shown his picture. Most news agencies have often used the word kidnapped rather than captured to acknowledge his situation. But until yesterday, no major news media has even bothered to announce the name of a Palestinian civilian whose life was taken at the hands of an Israeli missile or bullet.

Could it be that the outside World is finally starting to shake off the notion that Palestinians are less valuable than Israelis or am I just dreaming?